Sewing-machine



W. JOHNS-ON.

I SEWING MACHINE.

No; 254,486. Patented Mar. 7,1882.

n. PETERS. Phatwutha n nnr, Wnhingmn. n

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM JOHNSON, OF HA VERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS.

SEWING-MACHINE.

sPncrFrcArroN forming part of Letters Patent No. 254,486, dated'March7,1882.

- Applicationfiled Novomber10,1881. (ModeL) To all whom it may concernBe it known that I, WILLIAM JoHNsoN, of Haverhilhcounty of Essex, Stateof Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Sewing-Machines, ofwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification.

This invention in sewing-machines has reference to improvements infeeding the material, especially when binding and similar work is beingdone, wherein the drag of the presser on the binding tends toinjuriously stretch it.

My invention relates especially to an organizationof mechanism forlifting the presser-foot to obviate hurtful drag or tension on thebinding or material.

My invention will preferably be made as an attachment, but may, it isobvious, form a regular part of a sewing-machine.

Figure 1 is an inner side view of my invention embodied. in anattachment, the liftingbar being elevated; Fig. 2, a like view with thebar depressed. Fig. 3 is a front or outer side view with the swingingresser-foot carried back, as it will be by the movement of the cloth,(shown in dotted lines,) acted upon by the regular feeding device, aportion of which is shown as having been lifted above the needle-holeplate. This figure also shows, in dotted lines, the needle and part ofthe usual needle-bar. Fig. 4 is a like view, the lifting-bar beingthrown down, as in Fig. 2, to relieve the pressure of or lift theswinging presser-foot from the fabric or material being sewed, to permita spring or device connected with the swinging foot to throw the latterfor- Ward as the usual under feeder below the material is drawn back;and Fig. 5 is a view of the parts shown in Fig. 1, looking at them fromthe left, the lower end of the lifting-bar and the under side of thepresser being, however, in the same plane horizontally; and Fig. 6 adetail of the needle-hole plate, showing the top of the usual underfeeder and the needle-hole, the dotted lines showing the point occupiedby the lifting-bar when it descends upon the material just at the rearof the needle-hole.

This my improved apparatus may be applied to any sewing-machine havingany usual under feed, afour-motioned feeding device being, however,preferable.

The aim of my invention is the production of mechanism whereby thematerial being sewed may be held by the presser-foot down upon thefeeding device as the latter is moved forward in feeding, thepresser-foot moving with the material and under feeder, whatever may beits extent of movement; but the feed having been completed thepresser-foot will be automatically lifted and thrown backward above thematerial as the under feeder retires or is moved backward prior to againbeing moved forward to carry the material for a new stitch.

In the drawings, A represents a bracket of suitable shape to properlysustain the working parts.

The upper end of the presser-foot b is pivoted at b upon an ear at theupper end of this bracket, and near its lower end is guided between thesaid bracket and a cap, b connected with the bracket A by a screw, 0.The cap at its upper end is made tubular to receive and hold a spiral orother spring, 0 the outer end of which bears against the rear side ofthe shank of the said presser-foot, the normal tendv ency of the saidspring being to keep the presser forward toward the operator and in theright-hand end of the slot or space between the cap 11 and the bracketA, as in Figs.1 and 4. This spring permits the said foot b to be carriedaway from the operator with the material being sewed in the direction ofthe forward movement of the usual under feeder, m, connected with barm,into the position shown in Fig.3, thus making a presser-foot which mayswing on its pivot b as well as rise and fallin the usual manner, toadapt it to the thickness of the material and keep the material on the cusual under feeder during its feeding movements, it being understoodthat the bracket-A, carrying the presser-foot b, will in practice beadjustably attached to the usual resser-bar,

P, of the sewing-machine in which this myin- 5 vention is to be used.The feeder m and its carrying-bar m are the same, and will be actuatedas in the New Singer sewing-machine.

The bracket A has a suitable guideway to receive the lifting-bar d,which at proper times is thrown down positively upon the material beingsewed, immediately at the rear of that point where it is penetrated bythe sewingmachine needle, the said material being at that pointsupported by that part of the throat or needle-hole plate, as shown indotted lines, Fig. 6, immediately at the rear of the needlehole madetherein. This lifting-bar is thrown down on the material just after thecompletion of the forward-stroke of the usual under feeding device andof the movement of the presserfoot baway from the operator, and as it isso thrown down the presser-foot is lifted, (the usual feeding devicethen being retracted below the material,) and as soon as lifted thespring 0 quickly throws or swings the said presser-foot toward theoperator, so that it will be in correct position over the usual feedingdevice, when it is again started to move the material forward for a newstitch. The lower end, 2, of the lifting-bar is carried forward over theheel 3 of the presser-foot, so that it will fall immediately at the rearof the usual needle-hole in the plate a of the sewing-machine. Thislifting-bar has a lug or pin, 0 whichis engaged by the forked end of anelbowlever, f, pivoted at f on the bracket A,the said elbow-lever beingconnected by a link, g, with a bell-crank lever, h, pivoted at h on thebracket A, the front end of the said bell-crank lever bein gslotted orother wise shaped, as common to like levers in sewing-machine rufflers,to permit the said lever to be operatively connected with the usualneedle-bar of the sewingmachine in the usual manner.

Instead of the slot-and-pin connection between the lifting-bar and theelbow-lever, I mayprovide the end of the said lever with sector-teethand make it engage rack-teeth on the said bar. I do not desire to limitmy invention to the exact mechanical details herein shown for actuatingthe lifting-bar, as other well-known equivalent devices actuated fromthe needle-bar or other part of the machine may be employed.

I do not claim a presser-foot and a feeding device located above thecloth, for I am aware that a lifting presser-foot has been provided witha toothed feeding device which is thrown down upon the material andmoves'it positively I for each stitch, as in United States Patent No.24,939; nor do I claim a vertically-reciprocating presser-foot having avertically and horizontally movable helper or cloth-feeding devicearranged to bear upon the cloth in advance of the needle in thedirection of the feed of the cloth, and which moves with and co-operateswith the needle to feed the cloth forward.

I claim 1. The pivoted swingingpresser-foot and the vertically-movablelifting-bar, adapted to descend upon the material being sewed near theneedle-hole of the plate which supports the material to lift thepresser-foot above the material, combined with an under feeder, adaptedto engage the under side of and feed the material for each stitch, thepresser-foot moving with the said feeder and cloth as the cloth is beingfed forward, substantiallyas and for the purpose described.

2. The under feeder to engage the under side of the material and carryit forward, and a swinging presser-foot above the material and movingwith it, combined with a vertically-' movable lifting-bar adapted to bethrown down upon the material while at rest to lift the presser-foot,and with a spring to move the said presser-foot toward the operator,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The bracket A, the swinging presser-foot pivoted thereon, and thespring to throw it toward the operator, combined with the shortlifting-bar guided by the said frame and reeiprocated verticallytherein, substantially as described.

4. The bracketA, swinging presser-foot pivoted thereon, and thelifting-bar guided by the bracket, combined with the system of leverscarried by the said bracket, and adapted to be actuated by the needlebar, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM JOHNSON.

Witnesses G. W. GREGORY, W. H. SIGSTON.

